Lan Jin was in a good mood. She walked out and leaned against the second-floor railing, calling for Aunt Chang.
Aunt Chang emerged from the room and walked into the courtyard, looking up with a smile. "What instructions do you have, miss?"
"Business will be coming soon. First, put away the best lanterns in the shop and sell the second-rate ones first. Those who can't hold back and come looking first aren't worthy of my good lanterns."
"Yes."
Lan Jin went downstairs. "Where's Zhi Yue? What is she doing?"
Aunt Chang saw Zhi Yue come out of the room and let her answer for herself.
"Miss, I'm sorting through my mother's bridal dowry."
"Get ready. Starting tomorrow, you'll go to the front shop to learn how to do business."
Seeing her dazed expression as she agreed, Lan Jin simply took them to the main hall to sit down and made things clear.
"After all the commotion at Chengenhou Manor yesterday, I've become quite famous in the capital. There will be no shortage of people coming to the shop to test the waters. You've left the Marquis Mansion but are working in my shop, so it's inevitable that some will mock you. You'll hear unpleasant words, and you need to be prepared to endure them."
So that was the preparation. Yu Zhi Yue pursed her lips lightly. "If I said I couldn't endure it, would you not let me go?"
"No. I don't keep useless people around me."
"So, miss, you don't need to worry about whether I can endure it or not. I must stay by your side, no matter what you ask me to do."
Lan Jin was fairly satisfied with this answer. Everyone around her had walked a path of hardship; if they couldn't even endure a little gossip, they weren't qualified to stay by her side.
"Do you know why I'm sending you to the front shop?"
Yu Zhi Yue didn't answer immediately but thought for a moment before saying, "Because of yesterday's events, many people are interested in you, and they'll come looking here. If you want to take on commissions in the capital, you need to let people know what 'Feng Deng' does. And I am the best living advertisement."
"You've indeed improved." Lan Jin smiled. "Now there are rumors that I'm Lord Lin's person, which makes people wary of me. We can take advantage of this to build 'Feng Deng's' reputation. You don't need to exaggerate; just tell your story. However, don't mention your uncle and aunt. As for how to tell it, you can decide for yourself. As for why you're in this shop now, just say directly that you've placed another commission with 'Feng Deng' and are staying here to learn how to do business, so you can manage the enterprises in your mother's bridal dowry in the future."
Yu Zhi Yue agreed. Now that she knew her mistress's purpose, she quietly pieced the story together in her mind. However…
"If someone asks me to introduce them to you, what should I do?"
"I only discuss business with people. Casual conversations are unnecessary."
Yu Zhi Yue nodded, then thought of something else. "If someone asks about your marriage with Lord Lin…"
"Just dismiss them with 'it's not appropriate to gossip.'" Lan Jin thought about that scenario and felt quite satisfied. "If they have to come to me to fish for information, it means they can't approach Lin Xihe directly. Even if I give an ambiguous answer, they wouldn't dare to verify it with Lin Xihe. And even if they could ask Lin Xihe directly, haven't I denied those rumors? I even told people not to gossip!"
Lan Jin rested her chin on her hand and smiled. "What have I done wrong?"
Yu Zhi Yue shook her head repeatedly. Her mistress had done nothing wrong; she was especially innocent.
Aunt Chang's attitude was even more unequivocal: "What does this have to do with our young lady? It wasn't our young lady who said it—it's what others choose to believe. Are we supposed to go around gagging everyone? Our young lady is the one who's wronged here. What respectable young lady would want to be associated with Lord Lin in such a way?"
"Young lady, rein it in a little," Lan Jin had to remind her. "Pushing your luck after gaining an advantage can provoke even the most patient person. It's enough to quietly reap some benefits from the sidelines."
"Young lady's reprimand is justified. I misspoke," Aunt Chang admitted swiftly. "Lord Lin possesses celestial grace and is sure to secure a fine marriage."
If the direct approach didn't work, she'd try the reverse; if the reverse didn't work, she'd revert to the direct—slippery as an eel. Lan Jin had no way to handle an Aunt Chang like this. All these years, she had been right under her watchful eye, yet somehow, she had transformed from a somewhat naive beauty into someone with such a temperament.
Still, seeing her navigate each day with such ease made Lan Jin feel there was nothing wrong with it.
Flowers bloom in their own splendid ways, and people, too, should naturally differ. She had never expected everyone around her to live like mere echoes.
As dusk approached, Wen Xi arrived. He first spoke of Wu Er's matter.
"Wu Shili, the second son of the Wu Family, is a child born late in life. He is twenty-two this year. Grand Scholar Wu governs his household strictly. Although he dotes on this late-born son, he also restrains him. While Wu Shili has done plenty of reckless things, he generally avoids major transgressions, sticking to minor missteps and maintaining a bottom line. The Wu Family follows a path of refined nobility. The eldest son, Wu Shiyong, has entered the Xueshi Yuan, supporting the family's reputation. As for the less promising second son, they haven't forcibly tried to reform him. Initially, I suspected they might be deliberately raising the favored second son to be incompetent to prevent rivalry with the eldest. But later, I found this wasn't the case. The brothers actually get along quite well. Whenever Wu Er gets into trouble outside, it's usually his elder brother who helps resolve it."
Lan Jin rubbed the scar on her little finger and asked, "Is there any possibility Wu Shili might pursue an official career?"
"It doesn't seem likely," Wen Xi replied, pouring tea for the young lady. "He's already twenty-two. If he had such aspirations, the Wu Family should have started paving the way for him. But from the information we've gathered, there's no sign of that. Recently, he's been going to the Jiaofang Si every day under various pretexts. Even after the conflict with Chen Wei, the Wu Family hasn't taken any action. If he intended to enter officialdom, they should have immediately confined him at home to avoid provoking the Chen Family and facing obstacles later. Yet the Wu Family has done nothing, treating it as mere youthful squabbling."
Doing nothing was equivalent to letting things slide. Lost in thought, Lan Jin followed up by asking, "How has the Chen Family reacted to the incident Chen Wei caused at the Jiaofang Si?"
"Chen Wei has already entered officialdom and is married, so this incident has significantly affected him. The Chen Family doesn't want to offend Grand Scholar Wu. Since the Wu Family downplayed the matter, the Chen Family simply let it go as if nothing happened. Chen Wei's wife has returned to her maiden home. He went to his in-laws' house two days in a row but wasn't allowed in."
Lan Jin was not surprised by this outcome and had a clear sense of how things would ultimately unfold.
Marriages among noble families are essentially business transactions. Once married, interests are bound together, and separation inevitably causes severe damage. Thus, divorce is rarely an option.
Noble families place the highest value on propriety. Actions must be justified by proper reasons. Once they gain the upper hand, they use it to pressure you, seeing what you can offer to appease their anger.
Put simply, it's about how much you can give.
Chen Wei acted in the wrong, so being controlled by his in-laws was inevitable.
"Are the Wu Family and the Fourth Prince definitely unrelated?"
Wen Xi shook his head: "Based on the information we have gathered so far, no. The Fourth Prince's targets are those powerful and capable ministers who hold real authority. Grand Scholar Wu and his son are currently of no use to him, so there is no need to win them over."